Ending the Impasse

First the background in case you just emerged from a cave.  Today is day two of what is called the shutdown. Everything considered to be "non-essential" is supposed be completely shutdown; the doors locked and the lights turned off.  The employees are furloughed without pay and  a myriad of overlapping bureaucracies grind to a halt.  There is a law  that pretty much outlines it and the administration must make careful decisions as to what stays open and what closes down.

Essentially, the military, most law enforcement, the FAA and other such functions remain, either at full strength or at reduced levels.  Congress, it seems is essential and they still get paid.

It's amazing.  So far we've survived, but not without enough finger pointing to make it appear to be a circular firing squad.  Seriously, a case could be made to blame the whole lot of them.  The GOP wants to de-fund or push back Obamacare and the Democrats, seeing a political advantage (aided by their bretheren in the press) have decided to not negotiate on any part of the spending bill.

The vast majority of Americans see Obamacare as a bad law.  It is not going to deliver what the President (or any other Democrat) promised.  Premiums will go up, your coverage will change and you will most likely not be able to keep your current doctor.  No matter, it's the president's signature legislation and the Democrats are not about to admit it's the worst thing to come out of DC since...well since there's been a DC.  They will not give in and as stated, they are happy for the press to blame the party that is willing to negotiate as being the ones who will not negotiate.

Wayne Allyn Root, writing for Fox News, just might have the best idea yet to get over this impasse: 

Here’s a way to turn this into a “win-win” for the GOP. Republicans will in fact end the government shutdown, pass the budget, and fund ObamaCare if this one single simple demand is met: 

 REMOVE ALL EXEMPTIONS, EXCEPTIONS, AND WAIVERS TO OBAMACARE. 

 It’s that simple. The message is: If ObamaCare is so good for the people, then let everyone have it. Right now. This instant. The poor, the rich, the big unions, the big corporations, the politically connected, the lawyers, the lobbyists, and of course, Congress, too. Everyone means everyone. “Everyone” must specifically include Senators, Congressmen, their staffs, Obama himself, Michelle, Sasha and Malia. It’s everyone in the rowboat, or no one.

 What a great idea!  If it's good enough for one American, then it should be good enough for everyone.  No unions, business or personal exemptions. 

It's genius in its simplicity. 

Think of Obama's only two options at that point. He can either tell the American people that government will stay shut "Because I refuse to force corporations, unions, and Congress to live by the same rules as the rest of you"....or he can immediately re-open the government and fund ObamaCare, but cause a war inside the Democratic Party by abandoning his big corporate donors and unions.

Either way, he loses.

Checkmate!  Game, set and match!  That fat lady's song is over.

If the GOP has any sense, or decides to grow a pair, that is exactly what they should do.

Mike